As more employers thoughtfully consider how to make theirs a safe and inclusive environment for all employees, one group deserving of employers’ attention is cancer survivors.  

Thanks to advancements in treatment and early screenings, an increasing number of cancer survivors are returning to work after treatment. Yet, the success of their return depends largely on the support they receive at work—especially from managers. Recovering from cancer entails far more than physical rehabilitation; for many, cancer also takes a considerable toll on their mental and emotional health, as well as their self-esteem. In the workplace, this can manifest as diminished confidence in one’s skills or abilities; a loss of drive, sense of purpose, and motivation; social withdrawal; and heightened stress, anxiety, or uncertainty.  

The challenge for employers, therefore, becomes how to facilitate employees’ complete return while honoring and addressing these concerns and nurturing survivors’ holistic wellbeing. To that end, employers may consider implementing a solution like Cancer Care Compass, the first global, inclusive program designed to provide unparalleled support for survivors and their managers to facilitate survivors’ seamless return to work and holistic recovery.  

In a new podcast episode, titled “Returning to Work After Cancer: Challenges & Opportunities for Success,” host Sarah Wood, VP and General Manager of Emerging Solutions at WPO, sits down with guests Yara Maria Kamel, Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Success Coach at WPO, and her husband, Edmond Ghosn, a cancer survivor, to discuss Edmond’s cancer journey and return-to-work experience and illustrate how employers can provide effective support for cancer survivors in their workplace. 

Read below for a glimpse of their insightful conversation: 

Sarah Wood: To get started, I was wondering if you could talk a bit about the increasing presence of cancer in the workplace, and the challenges survivors—and their managers—face when navigating the return-to-work process? 

Yara Maria Kamel: Sure, Sarah.  

Cancer is no longer just a personal crisis—it’s a workplace reality. The World Health Organization estimated that 1 in 5 people worldwide will receive a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime, and many of them are working professionals. In fact, this number is expected to rise by nearly 80% over the coming decades – & among those diagnosed, nearly half are of working age. Many employers have already noticed an increase in cancer cases amongst their employees – and such diagnosis can significantly disrupt a person’s life, often requiring them to step away from work for treatment.  

Fortunately, thanks to advancements in early detection and treatment, survival rates have improved significantly. This means that while the number of cancer diagnoses is rising, so too is the number of Cancer survivors—and many of them will attempt to return to work. Research tells us that the vast majority of cancer survivors want to return to work, but their success largely depends on the support they receive in the workplace: and here’s where the real challenge lies for employers. 

We already know that nearly half of employees are afraid to disclose their diagnosis to their employer, and this signals a deep-rooted concern about whether they will receive the right support from their employer. Even more concerning is that 7 in 10 survivors feel their managers are unprepared to help them and fail to provide the necessary accommodations for a successful return. And this isn’t just coming from employees with limited tenure—one report found that two-thirds of those who ultimately left their jobs due to a lack of support had been with their organization for four to ten years. That’s a significant loss of experience and talent.  

So, for employers, the challenge isn’t just about addressing cancer’s direct impact on the workplace. It’s about tackling the broader cultural and organizational barriers that can make or break a survivor’s ability to reintegrate successfully. Creating a workplace that truly supports employees through and beyond their cancer journey isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s a business imperative. 

Sarah Wood: Thank you, Yara. That’s a really excellent point to make. Now, the reason that you are both here today is because you’ve first-hand experience with cancer and the profound impact it has on both your personal and professional lives, in addition to some of the challenges you’ve just mentioned. Eddy—and thank you so much again for being here today and agreeing to share your story—I understand that in august 2023 you had your own experience with cancer and the challenges of returning to work afterward. I was wondering if you could walk us through that journey and share what it was like for you, both personally and professionally?  

Edmond Ghosn: Certainly. So, back in August 2023, during my summer vacation, I started getting these mild headaches. I didn’t think much of it, especially since I was also dealing with some neck pain, and I figured that was probably the cause. But the headaches didn’t go away, so I decided to get an X-ray and see a neurologist. They told me I needed physiotherapy, but a couple of weeks later, the pain was still there. 

Then one morning, out of nowhere, I got very dizzy, and that’s when I knew I had to go to the ER. They did an MRI, and that’s when they found a big tumor pressing on my brain. I was rushed straight to the ICU for surgery the next day. Unfortunately, the surgery didn’t work as planned — the doctor couldn’t remove the whole tumor. So, I had to fly to the US to a top medical center to get it fully removed. 

After that, I started the second phase of treatment: radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which lasted almost a year. I am now officially a cancer survivor, treatment-free and I just need to have frequent check-ups to make sure that the tumor didn’t come back. 

It was honestly a huge shock, and it felt like my whole life and all my plans were just shattered. In the beginning, there wasn’t even time to think properly, it was all so chaotic. I wasn’t really thinking about work. The day of my diagnosis, I just sent a quick message to a couple of colleagues saying, ‘I can’t work, I have a brain tumor,’ and that was it. I didn’t even know if I’d ever be able to come back.  

I was really lucky to have an amazing work culture with colleagues and managers who were incredibly supportive. From day one, I felt this overwhelming support, with many colleagues — including my general manager — even coming to visit me in the hospital during my surgery.  

But support at work goes beyond kindness – It’s also about structure, communication and a plan for reintegration.  

Yara, right from the start, understood this. She knew all about the sick leave regulations here in the UAE and immediately jumped in to handle things for me so that I could focus on my health. She started the conversation with the team early on, which helped set the right tone, making it clear that I needed support. It wasn’t just about taking time off – it was making sure that there was a plan in place, ensuring that I had the flexibility, understanding and resources to gradually return to work in a way that honored my treatment, my healing and my career. Starting that conversation made all the difference. 

Throughout my treatment, I stayed in close touch with my colleagues, being really open and setting clear expectations for what was coming up. That transparency helped keep the lines of communication strong and made the transition back much smoother.  

Once I was ready to come back, they were so understanding. I started working remotely, part-time at first, because I was still dealing with fatigue from Chemo and Radiation therapy. Slowly but surely, I increased my working hours and fully returned to work about five months after my first surgery.  

Even then the journey wasn’t over, I still had chemo sessions, blood tests, scans, and all that comes with it. But my employer continued to support me, offering flexibility with my hours, allowing me to take breaks, skip meetings when needed, work remotely when needed to reduce the risk of infection and help with nausea and fatigue.   

Today I feel very grateful to be back to my life and back to work. I’m fully engaged and satisfied with my career, and recognize just how much a supportive workplace can make all the difference in a journey like this… 

Want to hear more about the challenges Edmond faced and how he and his employer overcame them? Tune in to the full podcast, “Returning to Work After Cancer: Challenges & Opportunities for Success,” available now to stream on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or at https://www.workplaceoptions.com/podcasts/returning-to-work-after-cancer-challenges-opportunities-for-success/. 

Find out more about how Cancer Care Compass can support survivors’ seamless return to the workplace at https://www.workplaceoptions.com/wellbeing_solutions/cancer-care-compass/.